Surfing enthusiast Ben Marcus takes you as close to the waves as you can get without hitting the beach.

Surfing is more than just a sport; it is a cultural phenomenon. From its mystical beginnings in Polynesia, surfing has evolved into a worldwide passion, establishing its own roster of legends and seeping into our society—in movies, in fashion, in music, and in language. Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, the "father of surfing," helped elevate the sport beyond its Pacific Islands origins more than a century ago, and his torch has been carried on by a long line of surf heroes: Woody Brown, Mickey Dora, Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater, and many, many others.

During the 1950s and 1960s, surf culture and fashion exploded into movies and music. "Gidget," the Beach Boys, and even Elvis Presley exposed surfing to the masses, and decades later, the sport and its proponents remain fixtures in pop culture and the media. Yet, through the years, surfing has maintained its reputation as a refuge for non-conformists; its often below-the-radar individualistic lifestyle defies a dry chronicle neatly tied up with a bow.

In this comprehensive history of surfing, author Ben Marcus captures the glamour and excitement of this extreme sport. If you are still in awe of that first surfboard, still stoked by hanging ten, or still dreaming of that elusive wave, then this book is for you. Surfing: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time brings you up close and personal to the exciting world of surfing.